A system still getting bombarded
It was last time when this writer, before making his writeup at allvoices.com, sought articles regarding hacktivists attacking government websites as well as criticisms condemning attempts to silence social media in the name of anti-cybercrime. Such wave of attacks cost hours to retrieve and revive such sites that unveils the vulnerability of government websites to further attacks-especially those who used hacking as a form of direct action against the state.
Quite daring and surprising to see those hacktivists who did paralyzing those websites, such as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the National Telecommunications Commission as well as others the government least maintained. And since it unveiled the vulnerability in response to the passage of the dreaded "Anti-Crbercrime law", that form of direct action seemingly made as if bombing a cellsite, this time using online instead of TNT as its "bomb."
However, the said action taken by these new wave of radicals and an unveiled vulnerability on government websites showed a weak government despite they've passed an act that means curtailing criticisms, of restricting free flow of media despite its benefits such as protecting women and children's dignity. In fact, as noticed in getting desperate salvaging their sites, retrieving infos, yet still getting bombarded by criticisms, they resort in invoking the long arm of the law, or rather say threat to those who do what is subversive in their senses such as a friend of yours truly who been warned strongly by the police for giving a foul mouthed sentiment.
Quite strange to invoke such strong warning than leaving it minor, thinking that those criticisms be equivalent to inciting rebellion or treason such as assailing the head of state or a senator, what on earth the Philippine government should impose a libel provision yet at the same time invoking transparency and decriminalize libel under the provisions set by the United Nations in pursuit of free speech? Such sheer nonsense made by the system is made as they are desperately trying to keep their seats yet still getting bombarded at all sides by the people by using sarcasm or direct action such as hacking.
This writer, as noticing the events surrounding the creation and passage of the infamous anti cybercrime law, sought how could a system let happen while at the same time being a signatory to a call for decriminalizing libel? Or even thinking that how president Aquino signed a bill whose co-author is his enemy, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? The original bill involves surveillance over flow of communication, then followed by the infamous libel clause made by Sotto? Seems that the bill being passed in midst of strong criticisms and wave of direct attacks invoke putting parameters over everyone's expression while invoking democracy, sounds like J. Edgar Hoover whose sentiment to defend democratic interests contradictory to the arrests of those protesting, even putting John Lennon under surveillance by the FBI and be threatened with deportation as necessary to silence opposition.
And thinking that there are other clauses important such as protecting women and youth, yes, that there are certain legislators unnoticingly "yay" a bill yet end up retracting, amending and repealing the bill itself and with its hell of a kind clause superseding the original portions of the said act; people somehow would criticize these people most yet come to think of it, how come others like Arroyo et al. remained silent while others, unnoticingly knewing that the libel clause superseding (rather than including) in that passed law (that created criticism from many) opposing and calls for amendments and even repealment? Well, to this writer's analyses, the latter would be categorized into two: those saving faces for elections through joining the bandwagon and those who are opposing the libel clause and other repressive acts that hinder privacy while calling for the importance of an alternate bill that speaks for internet security and safety, in fact there are other bills being written prior to Angara's "anti cybercrime law", it's just that Angara, with Arroyo et al. are the ones been seriously took and had Sotto's clause included.
But still, despite the bill being passed, of hacktivists being traced, of total protest of sarcasm, irony, and any other shit, the system created a mess. They are now in a defensive phase as well as getting paranoid as of these days while those who oppose continuously attacking them with protest of sarcasm, irony, and perhaps hacking in order those sites controlled by the government disable.
Sorry to say so but the conflict between people and system is endless, and obviously, that bill is just a grain in a sand of problems people ought to oppose a rotten system trying hard to survive by superficial modernity.